Francis Willette – Historically credited with the printing of the first screen printed item in the United States. A Detroit, MI screen printer who printed felt pennants during the early part of this century and was credited as the pioneer of modern screen printing in the United States.

However, Harry Hiett noted in his book that he first witnessed screenprinted at New York Pennant in 1900 and in 1903 at the shop of Francis Willette (or Willet) in Detroit. Hiett stated that Willette printed a white base and then hand colored the white surface with other colors.[ref]The History of Screenprinting in the U.S., Guido Lengwiler[/ref]